LaBarbera named AHL Goalie of the Month

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Jason LaBarbera of the Manchester Monarchs has been named the Rbk X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month for January. In 10 appearances last month, LaBarbera was 8-2-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average, a .945 save percentage and one shutout to keep the Monarchs in first place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

On Jan. 5 in Hartford, LaBarbera made 59 saves to backstop the Monarchs to a 3-2 overtime win over the Wolf Pack. He stopped 32 shots for his fifth shutout of the season on Jan. 17 at Portland, and later extended his personal winning streak to six games with a 39-save effort in a 2-1 victory vs. Albany on Jan. 27. LaBarbera capped the month by starting for the Canadian team in the 2007 AHL All-Star Game in Toronto, his second career AHL All-Star appearance.

In recognition of his achievement, LaBarbera will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Monarchs home game.

With a record of 25-14-1, LaBarbera currently ranks second in the American Hockey League in wins, save percentage (.932) and shutouts (five); third in goals-against average (2.23); and first in minutes played (2,419), saves (1,234) and shots faced (1,324) while appearing in 41 games for Manchester this season. In 226 career AHL games, LaBarbera is 117-69-20 with 26 shutouts, good for seventh on the AHL’s career list. The 27-year-old native of Burnaby, B.C., was named the AHL’s most valuable player and outstanding goaltender with Hartford in 2003-04, and played 29 NHL games with Los Angeles last season, posting a mark of 11-9-2.